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Published on: February 21, 2019
Rapid and Versatile Biosensing of Liposome Encapsulation Efficiency Using Electrical Conductivity Sensor.
Tatiane Melo Pereira1,2, Cínthia Caetano Bonatto1,3, Luciano Paulino Silva1,2,3
1Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Laboratório de Nanobiotecnologia (LNANO), Parque Estação Biológica, Final W5 Norte, Brasília 70770-917, DF, Brazil.
This study presents a novel biosensing method using conductivity to measure encapsulation efficiency (EE) in liposomes carrying plant extracts. This technique simplifies EE determination for complex natural compounds, aiding nanocarrier development.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Liposomes are key nanocarriers for drug delivery, with potential for encapsulating complex natural compounds like plant extracts.
- Protecting bioactive secondary metabolites from oxidation and controlling their release are critical for liposome efficacy.
- Quantifying encapsulation efficiency (EE) for non-isolated compounds in liposomes is challenging, often requiring sophisticated analytical methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an innovative biosensing technology for quantifying the EE of ethanol-aqueous plant extracts within liposomes.
- To establish a reliable correlation between electrical conductivity and free extract concentration for EE determination.
- To assess the EE of various plant extracts (lavender, wormwood, oregano, sage) encapsulated in liposomes using the developed method.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a conductivity electrode (k = 0.842/cm) to establish an EE biosensing technology.
- Correlated dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ZP), and electrical conductivity (Cnd) data with a conductivity meter's calibration curve.
- Established a robust relationship between free extract concentration and conductivity (r² ≥ 0.950) for EE quantification.
Main Results:
- Achieved a robust correlation (r² ≥ 0.950) between free extract concentration and electrical conductivity.
- Lavender liposomes showed 56.33% EE; wormwood and oregano liposomes exhibited high EEs of 94.33% and 91.70%, respectively.
- Sage liposomes demonstrated a low EE of approximately 0.57%.
Conclusions:
- The developed conductivity-based biosensing method offers a straightforward approach for quantifying EE in liposome-encapsulated plant extracts.
- This method simplifies EE determination compared to complex analytical techniques, facilitating nanocarrier characterization.
- The findings support the use of liposomes for delivering bioactive plant compounds and highlight the importance of EE assessment for formulation optimization.
